


Monster

by catharticallysarcastic



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-10-14 23:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17517572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catharticallysarcastic/pseuds/catharticallysarcastic
Summary: That one time when Karen had enough of being treated like she was an angel.





	Monster

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Everybody! This is my first Kastle fic so please don’t be too hard on me. I appreciate feedback so please, don’t hold back. Thank you for reading. Hope someone is going to enjoy.

“It's me.” Karen heard his raspy voice from outside and lowered the gun in her hand, opening the door. There he stood, Frank Castle, face covered in fading bruises, just after the end of yet another war and likely before starting yet another new one. “I was hoping you wouldn't put a new hole in me.”  
“Repairing the door is a real pain, I don't earn much lately,” she commented with a half smile as she stepped to the side and let him in. Her stomach was in a tight knot, wondering if maybe now that he was done with Billy Russo he came back to finish the conversation they started.   
“Repairing my head is just as much of a pain so I appreciate it.” He gave her one of those little half smiles that made her weak in the knees. There was this bitter sweet air around Frank, the type of dark cloud that she understood, that she owned herself.  
“Beer?” She walked to the fridge, glancing over her shoulder at him and he nodded.  
“I'm leaving town,” he stated and she froze for a moment, half way into pulling two bottles out. He was leaving again, the tone of his voice, the light question, the slight awkwardness told her what she needed to know. Frank was leaving town and did not want her to go with him.  
“Right.” She nodded, her lips in a thin line as she put the bottles on the small kitchen island, a little firmer than she should have. “It worked out perfectly well for the first time as well.” Karen popped the bottles open and took a big sip of her own. His rejection hurt for the first time, back in the hospital, it hurt even more so now but maybe if he did it again, it would get better, third time is the charm after all.  
“Karen, come on... I...” She turned her back on him, needed a moment to collect herself. She could feel her cheeks burning up. “You have a life here. You... You just started working with Murdock again, things are good for you. He is good.” She placed the bottle on the table in fear she'd break it, holding it too tight. Karen started pacing, her hands tightening into fists and opening again.  
“Is this why you came here, Frank?” She swirled around, defiance soaking through her voice, nose lifted into the air. “Because you know it was a pointless trip then,” she stated firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. “It is rather pointless of you to talk about things you have little to no knowledge of, Frank.” She shook her head, dropping her arms to her sides. “You know maybe Matt is not such a good guy,” she snorted lightly, tilting her head to the side. “Maybe, just maybe I'm not as pure as you think either.” He knew nothing about her. Franks Castle had this idea of her, that she was some kind of angel, that she's never made mistakes, that she wasn't just a woman knowing nothing better than to push forwards through lies and blood, through pain and loss because she couldn't look back. “I am not Maria, I am not a saint.” The side of his lips twitched at the mention of his wife's name. Karen regretted her words immediately but it was out there now and there was no taking it back. Truth to be told, she wasn't even certain if she wanted to take it back. She was sick and tired of being treated better when she was anything but in her opinion. “I've done bad shit Frank.” She added, quieter now, swallowing hard as memories flashed on her mind. “I was using, did you know that?” He looked up at her, eyebrows knitted as if it was too much for him to even imagine. “That's right, I was a junkie, Frank and I was selling, too. Yeah...” Her lips slipped between her teeth as she kept his gaze stubbornly.   
“It's in the past, Karen, it's...” He stepped towards her, reaching out, trying to soothe her but she moved out of his way.  
“Right, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter I have a past because I'm not that person now. Is that what you want to say?” Her voice was filled with pent up frustration and even she could hear how her tone jumped a little higher.  
“You can't tell me that you are. Karen, come on. What, you were a dumb kid? Who wasn't?”  
“My own father disowned me, people said I killed my brother, Frank... I...” She placed her index finger to her mouth for a second as she tried to gather her thoughts, tried not to let her emotions get the best of her. Truth was she just wanted to be heard finally, she just wanted to be understood. “I don't need excuses, Frank. I am who I am. I've done bad things, some mistakes, some that I'd do all over again.”  
“As a matter of fact I killed someone... Seven bullets and only that much because I had no more.” She nodded when Frank's head snapped towards her, eyes wide, shock all over his face. “And the only thing I feel guilty about is not feeling guilty about taking a life.” She continued before he could say anything. Karen wanted him to understand, to see her point, to have him looking at things from her point of view just once. “So if the things you do make you a monster, where does that leave me?”  
“I'm sure you had your reason...”  
“So do you!” She threw her hands into the air, pacing again. “So do you, Frank. It isn't like you walk the streets, hunting innocent civilians.” This was likely a pointless conversation. Frank Castle was stubborn as a mule and just as much scared. He was clear in the hospital. However, Karen couldn't help but think maybe he was there so she'd convince him so she'd make him see that it was all right to be scared, it was all right to let people in, it was all right to try and live his life.   
“Anything you've done is in the past, Karen and I...”  
“You didn't ask who I killed.”  
“It doesn't matter.” He looked at her, confused and she snorted lightly.  
“But that's the thing, it does.” She grabbed her beer and took another swig. “It does because it was James Wesley.” Frank's lips pushed out as he shrugged lightly, signing he didn't know the name. “He was Fisk's right-hand man.”  
“God damn it, Karen,” he growled, running a hand over his face.  
“And Fisk knows I did it. I told him.”  
“You did what?” He raised his voice, shaking his head. “Why would you... God damn it. What the hell, Karen?” He was pacing now as well, switching with her. She stopped, watching as he turned more and more agitated, turning the information around on his mind, realizing just how bad this could become in a single second.  
“I needed to get to him somehow and this was the only way I knew.” She cleared her throat. “I was hoping if he attacked me...”  
“Attacked you?” Frank turned to her, eyes widened in shock, fear, disbelief. “Karen, he puts a finger on you and you're dead, you are...” He bit the last word off, unable to say it, even the thought too painful, too much to put it into words.  
“It was the next best thing after not having the chance to end him.” She glanced away. “Either way I'm on the top of the hit list of one of the most dangerous man of our time so consider that before you reason with trouble comes after you and I deserve more than that.” Her throat tightened as the words slipped through her lips. She was on the edge all the time, leaving in fear when he'd send someone on her again.   
“God damn it, Karen...” He repeated again as he stepped to her, his fingers lightly brushing hers.  
“You kill bad people. I mean well and good people die so I wonder which one of us is worse.” She swallowed hard, feeling the back of her eyes burning. She's never told anyone all of this at once but she couldn't hold the words back anymore, it was like the truth just burst out of her.  
“Don't even start that, Karen...” He groaned in a low voice, his fingers wrapping around her wrist.  
“Who is the real monster, Frank?” She raised her gaze to his face, tears welling up in her eyes, all her guilt, fear bubbling to the surface.   
“Not you, not you, Karen.” He pulled her to him, holding her tight as a sob shook her body. “Not you.” She buried her face into the crook of his neck. He stroked her strawberry blonde hair soothingly, just holding her lightly trembling body. “Not you, you hear me?” She tightened her hold around his waist, just getting lost in his embrace. “We... I'm taking you away... visiting Amy, okay? Go on, grab your stuff. We're going down to Florida then we'll see.”  
“I didn't tell you so I could force some kind of pity...”  
“As if I could ever pity you,” he huffed with a shake of his head, his hand raising to her face. His thumb brushed her cheek lightly, wiping off a lonely tear and she leant into his touch. “You are too strong, too tough for that.” His lips was a breath away from hers as their foreheads touched. Air caught in her lungs as she tilted her head and his mouth brushed over hers. It was a tiny touch, yet her knees shook by the force. She let out a shaky breath, her eyes closing as his lips pressed to hers firmer now and she opened for him with a small gasp. The kiss was gentle, his hold on her firm though. He wasn't demanding but the control was his and Karen couldn't hold the moan back as her body moved to his lightly. “Pack your stuff, Karen. We're getting out of here.”


End file.
